Transylvania 1605-NB thaler Dav-4691
This specimen was lot 21577 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Philadelphia, August 2018), where it did not sell. The catalog description[1] noted, "TRANSYLVANIA. Taler, 1605-NB. Nagybanya Mint. Stephan Bocskai (1604-06). NGC EF-45. Michael the Brave of Wallachia sought to unite Romania, but faced defeat at the hands of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II in 1604. Then in 1605, the Transylvanian Diet (Parliament) elected Stephan Bocskai, a nobleman who had already taken control over most of Transylvania and portions of Hungary through his use of mercenaries. A RARE relic of that period, this coin displays gray centers with pleasing golden amber toning highlights in the legends. Light highpoint softening determines the grade, but no marks of any visual consequence appear over the surfaces. Ex: Princeps Collection, Sold by Classical Numismatic Group, January 2018, Lot #1178." The princes of Transylvania were sandwiched between the Ottoman Empire to the south and the Hapsburg dominions to the west and attempted to maintain independence from both. The Hapsburgs reconquered Hungary from the Turks in the 1680's and ended Transylvanian autonomy.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: silver.
Catalog reference: Dav-4691, KM-12; Resch-15var. (legend stops); MBR-662var. (legend stops).
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- Davenport, John S., European Crowns, 1600-1700, Galesburg, IL, 1974.
- Adolf Resch, Siebenburgische Münzen und Medaillen von 1538 bis Gegenwart. Hermannstadt, 1901 (reprinted in Montreal, 1965).
- [1]Ponterio, Richard, Kyle Ponterio and Chris Chatigny, The August 2018 Philadelphia ANA Auction: World Coins and Selections from the El Dorado Collection of Colombian Coins, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2018.
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